Council accused of flouting process in city manager’s re-appointment

OPPOSITION parties in the city council are crying foul that due process was not followed in the re-appointment of Achmat Ebrahim as city manager.

After walking out of a closed-door session of Wednesday’s council meeting at which the appointment was approved, the ANC’s caucus leader Xolani Sotashe said yesterday he had consulted lawyers for advice on challenging the decision.

The ACDP’s caucus leader Grant Haskin said he would be calling on Speaker Dirk Smit to rectify the process at the next meeting in December.

At the heart of the issue is that the council was not provided with a shortlist of candidates in order of preference, as agreed to at a council meeting in August.

Only Ebrahim’s name as the preferred candidate was tabled on Wednesday.

Sotashe said: “The process has been flawed and we plan to challenge it. We can’t allow the city to flout its own process in the appointment of senior executives. We strongly believe the mayor and the speaker have become a law unto themselves. The speaker presided over a flawed process and that’s what we are challenging.”

This is Ebrahim’s third five-year appointment as city manager.

Mayor Patricia de Lille said he had been selected from 81 applicants and a shortlist of six.

Haskin said: “It was her item to council last month laying out the process that she then ignored when submitting the name. She ignored her own process and the legislation prescribing that process. What is unfolding is unacceptable.”

Both parties said yesterday they held no prejudice against Ebrahim, nor questioned his suitability to hold office, but wanted to be sure the council wasn’t flouting its own processes and to satisfy themselves he was the best qualified for the job.According to the minutes of the August 24 meeting approved by the council this week, the mayor was given authority to appoint FRIDAY OCTOBER 28 2016 the selection panels for the filling of the positions of city manager and executive directors. The selection panels were to approve the shortlists in consultation with the mayor.

Zara Nicholson, De Lille’s spokeswoman, said the opposition parties’ understanding of the process was flawed. Ebrahim was the only candidate who fully complied with the entire interviewing process, therefore only his name was presented to the council.

“A panel was duly formed, candidates shortlisted and interviewed and a selection made. The council only needed to be provided with a list of recommended candidates. Mr Ebrahim was the only recommended candidate and was duly proposed to council.”